


Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

by HannahPelham



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, romantic fluff really sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24340213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahPelham/pseuds/HannahPelham
Summary: Emma Grayling has a nightmare, and Alec Palmer is there to look after her. Post-"Hide". Title from Dylan Thomas.
Relationships: Emma Grayling/Alec Palmer
Kudos: 1





	Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

After their experience with the Doctor and Clara, things would never quite be the same for Emma Grayling and Alec Palmer. After the revelation that they would, in fact, ‘end up together’, neither of them knew how to act. 

Emma was waiting.

Alec was stalling.

Now he knew that history dictated he and Emma would be together, any of the courage he had built up, which admittedly wasn’t much, had gone. He felt like a nervous schoolboy around her again. Now Hila was gone, Caliburn House was quiet and peaceful again. Alec didn’t mind, of course, but he was worried that Emma would leave now things were resolved, despite what the Doctor and Clara had told them. Their however many times great granddaughter. 

As Alec and Emma settled back into a Hila-less life, Caliburn House became a home to both of them. They stayed in their old routines, Emma doing the cooking and Alec doing the washing up, Emma doing the laundry and Alec folding it and putting Emma’s outside her bedroom door.

Every night, sat in front of the fire, listening to the radio or watching the television, Alec told himself he was finally going to make a move. Every night, he didn’t. Again, despite what the Doctor had told them, he worried that Emma would think he was a lecherous old man taking advantage of what some madman in a box had told them. He told himself that one day he’d commit and say something, but that day never seemed to arrive. 

Until it did. 

  
  


Alec awoke at 3am one morning to the sound of screaming. It only took a few seconds for him to realise it was Emma. He jumped out of bed and threw his dressing gown on as he ran down the corridors of Caliburn House. He paused outside her room for a moment, but went straight in once the screaming stopped again. He found Emma still lying under her duvet, hands balled into fists and screams leaving her mouth at such a volume he could hardly believe it. 

As she screamed and writhed he managed to get hold of her hands, letting her squeeze his hands instead of drawing blood on her own. She woke up with a start, and was surprised to see Alec knelt next to her bed, her hands in his.

“You were screaming” Alec said weakly. Emma nodded and started to cry, throwing her arms around Alec’s shoulders. He carefully stood up and sat down next to her on the bed, letting her lie all over him as she cried. He rubbed her back and smoothed her hair down and kept telling her it was just a dream and that everything was okay. 

Eventually, Emma calmed down, and sat with her arms around Alec, breathing slowly and shakily. Alec looked at the clock, they’d been there for nearly an hour. Emma saw him glance at the clock.

“Please don’t go” she whispered, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Of course I won’t” he replied, and he allowed himself to be dragged under the covers. He tried not to get too close to her, fearing what she’d think, but he needn’t have worried. Emma curled up into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand placed firmly in the centre of his chest. It didn’t take long for Alec to fall asleep, once he was sure Emma was sleeping peacefully.

Alec woke up the next morning, momentarily forgetting where he was. He looked over and saw Emma propped up on her elbow, looking at him. He grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and put them on. He looked at Emma and thought she was the loveliest thing he’d ever seen. He couldn’t believe his luck when she leant over and gently pressed her lips to his. It took Alec a moment to realise what was happening, but when he did he kissed back with everything he had. 

By the time they got out of bed, it was mid-afternoon. Emma’s nightie was hanging from the light fitting, Alec’s glasses were lost in the mele of pyjamas on the floor. Emma made a cup of tea whilst he searched for them, and when she returned, wearing nothing except Alec’s dressing gown, Alec realised that the Doctor had been right. He and Emma were meant to be together, he could feel it. 

“Emma” Alec whispered as she sat back down next to him, “I love you”

“I love you too Alec” she replied, handing him a tea with a kiss. That was when Alec knew he had to do it. He had to ask her to marry him. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if she slipped from his grasp.

As they cooked dinner that evening, together for once, Alec tried to come up with a plan. He had no ring, no gift whatsoever, and no idea what he was going to say. He didn’t really care though, he just knew he had to ask her. 

As they sat in front of the fire, the radio playing softly in the background, Alec realised he had his moment. 

“Emma” he started, “I have nothing to give you, no beautiful ring or well prepared speech, I have nothing to show for this except my love. You know how I feel about you, I love you with everything that I am, will you marry me?”

Emma smiled as she watched the nerves build in Alec. She wondered how long she could keep him in suspense.

“Of course I will Alec, I thought you could have guessed that” she replied, leaning down to kiss him. He slowly got up off the floor (one knee is hard for a man of my age, he thought) and sat back down next to her, reconnecting their lips. Emma sighed happily as Alec’s arms made their way around her. They sat, happy in each other’s company, the radio playing in the background, until the fire was almost out. They went to bed, once again finding themselves both in Emma’s room. As he started to fall asleep, Alec silently thanked Hila, the Doctor, and Clara for appearing when they did, otherwise he might never have said anything. 

  
  


Reader, they lived happily ever after. 


End file.
